


Eugene Davis Saves the Bees

by beegene



Category: Ghost Hunt
Genre: Bees, also Gene ain't dead so yay for that yeah?, and bees, it's literally a story about bees, lots of cute twin stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-19 23:39:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13134606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beegene/pseuds/beegene
Summary: One sunny afternoon, while enjoying a fine day of not being dead, Eugene realizes the bees are dying at an alarming rate. With the help of his friends and family, Eugene Davis will save the bees, and subsequently the world. Slight AU set after Eugene makes it home safely from Japan rather than dying a horrible, unnecessary death.





	1. Chapter 1

"Eugene Davis!" Luella called as she walked down the hallway to Eugene's bedroom door. She'd walked in, expecting to find her son working on the 'super important essay' that he just 'had to finish'. However, the room was empty, notebook papers covered in chicken scratch unapologetically strewn across his desk next to his open laptop. She huffed and shut the door before sweeping across the hall to Oliver's room, where the younger twin sat reading at his own desk, as usual.

"Do you know where your brother is?" she asked, her voice admirably steady despite the righteous motherly rage she felt.

"Back yard," Oliver answered without bothering to look up.

Luella nodded dutifully and marched back down the stairs.

"Gene!" She opened the back door, stepping out onto the whitewashed back porch.

"Yes, Mum?" A grinning face poked through the flower-covered support beams of the patio.

Luella fought to keep her anger restrained. "What are you doing out here when you have such an important essay?"

Eugene chuckled nervously, swiping his dark hair out of his face.

"I'm evaluating the garden," he said as if it were obvious, leaning forward onto the railing, trying to appear at ease.

"And what might you be evaluating our back garden for?"

"Bees," Eugene replied nonchalantly, glancing about as if attempting to calculate something.

"Bees?" she repeated, not amused in the least, hands finding their natural place on her hips.

"Mum," he straightened, suddenly intense. He emphasized the single syllable with a terse motion of his hands. "Imagine this. A beehive in our own yard."

She blinked, then shook her head. Who could ever tell what was going through Eugene's mind?

"This already doesn't sound appealing."

"Listen!" he pleaded, blue eyes widening into a sweet look that always helped him to persuade his mother.

She heaved an exasperated sigh, but allowed him to continue.

"Imagine the preservation of nature. The beauty of nature. The flowers will triple, no, quintuple in beauty." His entire face lit up with excitement, as it usually did when he got to talking about his latest project, going right along with his wild gesticulations. "And the best part? All of your pastries, pancakes, and teas sweetened with free, organic honey!" He stopped there, waiting for her to be impressed.

She sighed again, "Where, exactly, did this idea come from?"

"Mum, the bees are dying at an alarming rate!" And there was Eugene, the white knight, ready to champion the cause.

"Eugene, if today is any indication, I reckon your GPA is dropping at an alarming rate."

"Do you know how important bees are to our world? They pollinate about eighty percent of all plants! Just one colony can pollinate three hundred flowers a day. The bees are important and they're dying."

She watched him for another moment. That perfected pleading gaze of his.

"Get that essay done and then we will talk about the bees," she finally conceded.

"Deal." he grinned, all traces of pain from bearing the bad news of the bee decline gone from his expression.

He immediately raced back inside and up the stairs into his room, flopping into his desk chair, and excitedly completing an entire paragraph of his draft before losing his resolve due to utter boredom.

He began rhythmically tapping his pencil against the top of the desk, hoping to annoy his brother, and subsequently summon said brother from the depths of hell—more commonly known as his bedroom.

The voice of his twin came into his head via their shared psychic connection.

Would you quit that? I'm trying to read.

Eugene ignored him, and the tapping persisted, taking the form of one of Eugene's favorite songs. He added humming to amplify the effect.

EUGENE.

The voice in Eugene's head exuded anger and annoyance.

Not a chance, Noll!

He just raised the volume of the humming and grabbed another pencil, so he could have drumsticks. Right as he was getting to the good part, a cold presence entered the room. Bingo.

Eugene tilted his head back so he could see his irate twin without having to turn around.

"What's wrong with Vampire Weekend?" he asked innocently.

"Plenty of things, idiot," Oliver said blandly as he leaned against the doorframe, though his glare was as frosty as ever.

Eugene shrugged. Best to choose his battles.

"The tapping is helping me concentrate."

Oliver's glare deepened.

"How in the hell could you possibly-?" Then it hit him. "You want my help, don't you?"

Of all the things Oliver was, he certainly wasn't stupid.

Instead of answering, Eugene set his makeshift drumsticks down, turning to face his brother.

"Have a seat." He indicated his bed, as the only chair in his room was the desk chair was currently sitting in.

Oliver kept glaring, but nonetheless walked into the room, silently taking a seat on the edge of Eugene's bed. His expression quickly turned to one of mock interest.

"Noll, you enjoy eating, don't you?" Eugene folded his arms.

His response was a raised eyebrow.

"Food is a necessity of life," Oliver said slowly, obviously overworking that big brain of his trying to figure out what Eugene was up to. "But I can't say I always enjoy it."

"But you do enjoy tea," Eugene had picked up one of the pencils again, and used it to point at his twin. He had him there.

"Obviously." Oliver folded his own arms, eyes narrowing a little.

"Tea is made from plants," Eugene continued. "Plants that are kept alive by pollen, which is spread by insects."

"Really?" Oliver's voice dripped sarcasm. "Please, continue. Enlighten me."

"Bees, Noll. So much of your life is furnished by bees."

"And what on earth does any of this have to do with you making so much noise? Or the term essay you're supposed to be writing?"

"Okay, I'll get right down to it."

"Please do."

"Noll," Eugene began, giving his brother a serious look. "I want you to do my essay so that I can save the bees." He said this as if the connection between the two things were obvious.

Oliver, however, raised one challenging eyebrow, and got to his feet.

"Imagine how your tea would taste sweetened with free, organic honey!" Eugene quickly wheeled his chair in front of his door, blocking Oliver's escape route.

Oliver's eyes closed in annoyance, and he sighed.

"I'll also require you to attend a few of my lectures for me."

"You're the best!" Eugene beamed, sliding back over to his desk to collect the stack of his outlines and notes for the essay.

"I'm aware," Oliver smirked, taking the papers. "You owe me." With that, he slunk back to his own room.

Having his insufferable genius brother do his homework wasn't something Eugene did often. Usually Noll was so annoying, it was easier to do it himself.

Oliver made errors on purpose, and would barely do Eugene's writing style any justice. However, this situation called for sacrifice. He could deal with his brother's smugness this time. It wasn't about him. It was about the bees. The bees were counting on him.

Now, with that loose end tied up, Eugene had to focus his attention on convincing the final boss level family member. If he could convince Martin his new hobby was a necessity, he'd be golden.

He crept out of his room, back down the stairs to Martin's study, where the door was closed. He cracked it open with a smile.

"Afternoon, Dad!"

Martin looked up from his reading, peering at his son over the top of his reading glasses.

"I hate to turn you away, Gene, but I'm quite busy."

Eugene's eyes widened, eyelashes fluttering.

For the second time that day, he used the cute look that tended to get him what he wanted. This look worked better on Luella, but he hoped Martin would be at least a little swayed by it. He needed this.

Martin sighed, "Is it important?"

Eugene nodded vigorously, stepping in and closing the door behind him.

"I'll be quick, promise. But I wanted to ask you about something regarding my training."

Martin perked up at this, immediately interested. Usually, when the twins wanted something from their father, they could get it by appealing to issues related to parapsychology.

"I think it might be beneficial for me to have some kind of calming hobby," Eugene continued, watching Martin's face closely.

Taking off his glasses, Martin asked, "Like meditation?"

"More like beekeeping." This was accompanied with an innocent smile.

After regarding Eugene for a moment, Martin said, "Sure."

While Eugene had been anticipating a bigger struggle, or at least a longer conversation, he figured he had better take it while he could.

"Thanks!" He was out the door before his father could think twice.

Martin returned to his reading, paused for a moment, and looked at the door his son had just left through.

"Beekeeping?"

Eugene, meanwhile, now that he had permission, had to formulate a plan to actually acquire the bees, and a place to put them.

He snuck back up to his room, tiptoeing past the kitchen, where Luella was preparing dinner. Once in his room, he got to work searching online.

There was a full kit of the supplies he needed for less than a hundred pounds. After getting the supplies squared away, he purchased two guidebooks, and turned to articles that debated the pros and cons of different types of beehives.

A langstroth hive looked good. It seemed to be the most popular, and best for keeping bees in frequent rain.

Once he was satisfied with his research, he ordered all the items and leaned back in his chair.

I'm doing a good thing, he thought. I'm saving the bees.

X~X~X

"Afternoon, Gene. A package came for you." Luella nodded towards a box sitting in the front entryway as Eugene stepped through the door.

"My beehive!" Eugene squatted down, lifting the large box.

Luella put a hand to her face.

"Careful, dear, she sighed.

It had been a few days since Eugene had decided to save the bees and Luella had forgotten her son's fixation until that moment. It seemed he had been quite serious.

Eugene wobbled out towards the back garden with the box, barely able to see over the large package.

He had already planned where he would place the hive, and managed to get the box to the spot he had chosen, despite the fact that his vision was limited by the height of the package.

The hive was to sit in a nice corner of the yard, near the bird-feeder, so the bees had quick access to water, and shaded by a tall tree. Once the hive was unpacked and placed, he looked it over, grinning triumphantly.

"Not bad." Said a voice behind him. Eugene jumped, turning quickly to locate the voice. It was Lin, standing with his arms crossed, quietly appraising the bee hive.

"Like it?" Eugene asked excitedly, standing proudly with his hands on his hips.

Before Lin had the opportunity to respond, Madoka came out the front door and rushed towards them.

"Ah! It's cute!" She smiled widely, shading her face from the sun as she looked on.

"I think it's a bit bland looking after all the hype over it," Lin said, still staring at the hive, which was really nothing more than a glorified wooden box.

"You should paint it!" Madoka grinned, imagining a bright pink hive, covered in silvery glitter paint in the Davis' backyard, standing out amongst the greenery and plain patio. "Can you do that?"

Eugene nodded, "Bees don't like overly dark colors much, so I couldn't let Noll near it to paint it all black or anything." He paused to think. "And I don't believe bees appreciate glitter much, but I may be wrong."

Madoka deflated as her paint scheme had already been shot down.

"I think yellow would be appropriate." Eugene decided, looking over his unpainted hive.

"Could you paint designs?" Madoka asked, perking up again. "Like flowers? I think since most of the bees are female, your girls might appreciate a stylish home. Don't you think, Koujo?"

She batted her eyelashes at her stoic boyfriend, seeking his approval.

"I think the bees would like that," he deadpanned, looking down at her.

"Actually," Eugene glanced from his mentors to his beehive. "I agree. The bees, and my mother, would appreciate that."

Madoka grinned wildly.

"Do you need a ride to the store?"

"Sure! This is going to be great!"


	2. Chapter 2

Lin dutifully steered his car towards the hobby supply store, focusing silently as his girlfriend and student chatted about designs that would look pretty on an artificial hive.

He reflected on his life so far, and wondered how he managed to get himself into a situation as comical as this. As he drove, he realized how deep he was already into this silly operation and he could only hope that he would not be commandeered to help paint when it came time to do so.

Lin pulled the car into a parking spot near the front of the lot and was then dragged into the store by Madoka, who justified this by saying 'he had a fine eye for color.'

Inside the store, the three made their way through the bright industrial lighting and various shelves of craft supplies towards the outdoor paints in the far back corner of the store. Eugene quickly chose a cute yellow outdoor paint called "bee yellow."

"This is obviously perfect," he said, holding up the paint's card.

"Now what color flowers should I paint?" Eugene glanced towards the pink paint samples as he already knew what color Madoka would petition for.

"Pink, obviously!" She began to examine the various shades of pink, mumbling to herself and to Lin as she debated pros and cons of each variant. "The coral shade looks nice with the yellow," she commented, holding color samples side by side in the light. "But this one's cuter."

Madoka shifted so that she was standing in front of Lin, holding the samples higher so that they were in his field of vision.

"Shouldn't Eugene be deciding?" Lin asked, ducking away from a near swatting with the color cards. "This is his project."

Eugene was to the couple's right, choosing a green shade for the flower's stems and leaves. "I don't care." he said, not turning away from the wall of greens.

Madoka finally settled on a bright coral shade of pink. She handed the paint sample to Eugene who compared it with the others he had chosen.

Lin handed Eugene a sample golden brown color he had picked so that they could paint honeycomb designs on the hive as well.

"See! You do have an excellent eye for color!" Madoka pointed towards the gold that Lin had picked.

"Any fool can pick out a suitable gold," Lin argued, hooking one thumb in his trouser pocket.

"But you're not just any fool." Madoka winked, causing Lin to bow his head slightly.

He fought a grin, not wanting to encourage her.

Without comment, Eugene left the couple and took the paint samples to the paint mixing counter. Soon, the three were on their way back to the Davis' home with four cans of their selected outdoor paint.

A few miles from the store, Lin's phone rang.

"Hello?" he answered. "Yes, I'll be right there. Ok. Goodbye." He put the phone down in the car cupholder.

"That was your father," he explained, glancing at Eugene in the rearview mirror.

"Am I in trouble?" Eugene laughed easily.

Lin shook his head.

"Madoka and I are needed on a case soon."

Madoka pouted.

"Does that mean that we won't be able to help paint the hive?"

Lin nodded as he steered the car into Davis' drive and parked.

"I suppose Noll and I will have to handle the painting." Eugene shrugged.

"Okay," Madoka sounded disappointed. "Send me a picture when you finish!"

"Sure thing!"

Eugene jumped out of the car and thanked Lin for the ride. He headed for the front door, already formulating a plan to get Oliver to help him paint.

Inside, Eugene found his brother sitting at the kitchen table reading a book about abnormal sleep behavior in relation to the paranormal. Oliver turned a page, pointedly ignoring his twin. He knew too well that Eugene was always up to something, especially as of late, with the bee situation.

He found it best to stay quiet until Eugene forced him to get involved. Which he soon would.

"Not even a hello, brother mine?" Eugene shut the door behind him and moved to set the cans of outdoor paints on the table across from Oliver. "No wonder Madoka is always on you about your manners." He clicked his tongue.

Oliver did not reply, simply turning the page and continuing to read.

It's a shame your manners are so bad. Eugene said, this time through the twins' psychic link. You have such a handsome face, but poor manners.

Eugene. Oliver replied, scowling down at his book. He had not read a word since Eugene had returned home.

Such a shame. Eugene repeated. He added out loud, "A poor shame."

Oliver sighed, "What do you want?"

"Help me paint." Eugene pleaded, picking Noll's book up off the table and bookmarking it for him.

Oliver glared, anyone besides Eugene would have been terrified by this look, but he knew his brother too well to think that the look meant anything, truly.

"Come on! It'll be fun! You can get some Vitamin D and do something more fun than moping about with a book all day!"

There are few things more fun than moping about with a book all day. Oliver argued.

Eugene set the book down on the table and pushed it back toward his brother.

"Fine, stay inside and I'll just paint the hive all alone! I'll sit outside and talk to myself. All alone!" Eugene began to act as though he were about to cry.

"Oh shut up, I'll help you!" Oliver stood, unable to ignore his brother for long. "You're horrible at art, anyway." He stopped for a moment, smirking. "You're saving the bees and all, but if you painted the hive by yourself, they might not even want to live."

Eugene shrugged.

"Hey, at least I know when to ask for help."

Picking up the paint cans, the twins made their way out to the backyard.

They set the paints down by the hive and then went back in to change into painting clothes. Soon, they came back outside and began laying a drop-cloth on the grass around the hive.

Eugene was dressed in sweatpants and a hole-ridden red flannel, while Noll wore jeans and a white undershirt.

Even as well as Eugene knew Oliver, it still seemed strange to see him in such casual clothes. Without the distinction in wardrobe, the twins looked even more alike.

Together, the boys painted the whole of the beehive yellow in a little under an hour. Eugene splashed paint about while Noll carefully painted the edges with straight brush strokes. By the time they had finished, their mother had returned home from work for the day and came outside to see what they were up to.

"Oh! It looks so good, boys!" Luella grinned. Despite her initial annoyance at the idea of keeping bees, it was quite nice to see her sons working together on something that did not have anything to with the paranormal.

"Coming together quite nicely, don't you think?" Eugene pushed his hair out of his face with the back of his hand, smearing a tiny streak of yellow paint across his forehead. "Now we need to wait for the base to dry so we can paint the flower design." he explained, wiping his hands on his flannel.

Oliver put his brush down.

"I believe a tea break is in order," he said, stretching.

"I'll get it!" Luella began walking backwards towards the patio. "You two are covered in paint, and I would not like you tracking that beautiful yellow all over my clean house." She slowed her pace and turned, giggling to herself. "I'll bee right back!" Luella laughed as her sons groaned behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi this is future!Bee, coming from the year 2017. I edited this story because I was unhappy with it and didn't want to finish it in its former state. so, if it looks different to you, that's because it is! the editing is mostly for my peace of mind so that I will feel proud of the chapter(s?) to come! I have just started university and I love it so much because I have a ton of time to write! I am hoping to finish this story soon! If you haven't yet, please read the other stories I have published now, especially The Town of Cats because it's seriously one of the better things I think I've written. hope to have a new chapter out soon! thank you to Hannah for original editing!
> 
> Love, Bee
> 
> Edited 1/9/17


	3. Chapter 3

Oliver and Eugene rested next to the newly yellow beehive waiting for the base coat of paint to dry. Eugene was sprawled out in the grass with his arms behind his head, while his brother sat with his legs crossed as if he were meditating.

"What design do you have in mind?" Oliver asked, breaking the serene silence.

"Hmm?" Eugene stirred, propping himself up on his elbows.

Oliver sighed and repeated his question.

"What design will I be painting when this dries?"

Eugene laughed, sitting all the way up and turning to face his brother.

"We-" he corrected, "-will be painting pink flowers along the bottom and a few large, gold honeycombs towards the top."

"Pink flowers?" Oliver smirked, raising an eyebrow.

"Madoka."

Oliver nodded, understanding. The only person who had the ability to be more persuasive than Eugene Davis, was Madoka Mori, and Oliver had the misfortune of knowing them both.

"I think it will look nice, though, my girls will appreciate it." Eugene shrugged, his eyes flickering to his hive.

"Your girls?" Oliver's eyes narrowed at his twin.

"The bees!" Eugene explained.

Oliver shook his head in disbelief.

"Gene, I understood that, but must you refer to the bees as 'your girls'? It's an insult to the bees."

"I think it's cute!"

"It's an insult to nature." Oliver glared, but Eugene payed no attention.

"Your mum's an insult to nature." Eugene smirked at Oliver, who rolled his eyes.

As if on cue, the back door swung open and Luella emerged, carrying a small tea tray with three cups on it. She smiled widely at her boys, taking in the rare sight of them working together on a creative project.

Both boys returned her smile with their respective quizzical looks. Oliver stared, obviously questioning her grin, while Eugene gave a confused smile back. Luella had to hold back a laugh at their contrasting reactions.

Idiot, we have the same mum. Oliver silently finished their former argument via the their psychic connection.

Eugene merely shrugged in response.

Luella, stopping to admire the fresh coat of paint on the beehive, missed their wordless interaction completely. She set the tea tray down onto the grass before taking a seat herself across from them.

"Lovely day out," she observed, spooning sugar into her own tea.

Oliver and Eugene nodded in unison. Eugene poured cream into his tea as Oliver began to sip his plain.

The three of them sat listening to the sound of birds chirping from the trees, enjoying their break and each other's company. It was one of those rare moments when Oliver could be with his mother and brother without either of them pestering him for anything.

He felt endeared to them more in these moments than in any others. It was comforting to have his family close and know that they cared for him.

"Thank you for the tea." Oliver preferred to break the silence himself rather than have his brother or mum ruin the moment.

Luella beamed.

"You're welcome, dear!"

Eugene nodded, agreeing with Oliver's gratitude.

"Yes, thanks Mum," he said, then he took a loud slurp of his tea, that was really more a cup of plain cream than anything else.

Can you not ever just be quiet? Oliver complained through the link, though his outward expression still almost resembled a smile.

Eugene did not reply, out loud or through the link, but he began to sip more quietly.

When they had finished their tea, Luella took the tray back inside. Eugene gingerly touched his index finger to the paint, testing to see if it had dried enough to begin painting the flowers on. He nodded after checking the paint several times in different places.

Dry? Oliver stood up and stretched again.

Eugene nodded again in reply.

"I'll start working on an outline for the flower design if you'd like to set up the paints." Oliver pulled a pencil from the bag of paint supplies.

While Eugene opened the small cans of pink, yellow, and green paint, Oliver sketched a rough outline of his design on the back of a paint sample. He drew spikes of grass and tall flowers. The flowers alternated between rounded and pointed petals, with varying lengths of stems.

Like this? Oliver turned the drawing towards his brother.

Eugene looked up and nodded in approval, his face breaking into a proud grin.

Looks great! He gave Oliver a thumbs up.

Oliver put the paint sample back into the bag and set to work with his pencil, copying the general idea of his design onto the sides of the beehive. While he did this, Eugene began to tape off the outline of three large hexagons to form a honeycomb pattern which he would fill in with gold paint. When he had finished taping off the design, Eugene painted the honeycomb while his brother worked on the flowers along the bottom.

When the boys were about half finished with the paint job, Luella and Martin came outside to check on their sons' progress.

"Wow, Oliver, that's beautiful!" Luella clasped her hands by her heart. Silently, she nudged her husband to get him to give some kind of reaction.

"It looks brilliant, boys!" he said, sounding genuine.

Eugene saluted with the handle of his paintbrush, accidentally painting a small bit of his wrist gold.

"Oliver's the real genius behind this operation," Eugene said, returning to to painting a gold hexagon.

Oliver smirked.

"Aren't I always?"

Martin and Luella shook their heads, laughing at Oliver's reply.

"But seriously." Eugene nudged his brother. "I couldn't have done this without him."

"Aww!" Luella covered her mouth at her sudden outburst before quickly complimenting the boys again and tugging her husband inside before she could ruin the moment.

I really do appreciate your help, Noll. Eugene repeated through the link as he finished filling in a hexagon.

Oliver exhaled deeply. You're welcome. I'm glad I could be of help.

Soon, Oliver was just putting the finishing touches on his work. Eugene dotted some of the extra gold paint in the center of the cartoonish flowers to look like pollen.

"What are you doing?" Oliver was still touching up a patch of cartoon grass but Eugene was standing off to the side, preparing to take a photo on his cell phone.

"I'm taking a picture for Madoka and Lin." He pushed a button on his phone. "Act natural."

Must I be in the picture? Oliver complained yet continued painting.

Madoka will appreciate it, you look cute. Eugene took another picture.

Don't call me cute.

Oliver decided that he was satisfied with his job and set his paintbrush down on the drop cloth.

"We have the same face, so I get to call you cute." The older twin switched back to speaking out loud, as he was sidetracked, sending the picture to Madoka.

Look. He showed Oliver the photo. It was a flattering picture of Noll carefully painting a green stem. In the photo, he was calm and totally focused on his work.

The caption of the photo read 'done! I got the idiot scientist to help me after all!' followed by several bee emojis and dollar signs. Oliver narrowed his eyes at the symbols before Eugene grabbed the phone back out of his hands.

"Texting is an art form. One that I have actually mastered," Eugene explained in a haughty voice.

"One you have mastered? Like you've mastered actual art?" Oliver waved a hand towards the hive that Gene had needed help to paint properly.

"Hey!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi this is future!Bee, coming from the year 2017. I edited this story because I was unhappy with it and didn't want to finish it in its former state. so, if it looks different to you, that's because it is! the editing is mostly for my peace of mind so that I will feel proud of the chapter(s?) to come! I have just started university and I love it so much because I have a ton of time to write! I am hoping to finish this story soon! If you haven't yet, please read the other stories I have published now, especially The Town of Cats because it's seriously one of the better things I think I've written. hope to have a new chapter out soon! thank you to Hannah for original editing!
> 
> Love, Bee
> 
> Edited 1/9/17


	4. Chapter 4

"Good morning!" Luella stirring a bowl of pancake batter as her sons came down the stairs into the kitchen. "Did you sleep well?"

Eugene nodded as he fought a yawn, not yet fully awake. Oliver didn't respond but continued to rub his left eye.

"Noll?" Luella prodded again.

Her son silently shook his head. Luella set the measuring spoon onto the counter and wiped her hands on the front of her frilly apron. She started to move towards Oliver to comfort him, but thought better of it.

"Would you stir this for me, dear?" Luella handed the bowl of batter and spoon to Oliver, smiling gently.

Oliver began stirring slowly. Luella took out a knife and began chopping strawberries on a cutting board. Across from her, Eugene sat down on the barstool and laid his head down on the bar. Luella shook her head, giggling at Eugene, but quickly returned to studying Oliver.

"Did you have a nightmare last night?" Luella tossed a handful of strawberry tops into the bin. Oliver contemplated his answer. He knew that his mother would be able to tell if he were lying so he tried to frame the truth in a way that would not concern her too much.

"It wasn't too bad." He frowned down at the mixing bowl and his stirring slowed. "I just didn't get much sleep."

Luella studied her son momentarily before crossing the kitchen to retrieve chocolate chips from the cabinet.

"Oh!" she grumbled, seeing as the chocolate chips had been placed onto the top shelf by whoever had purchased groceries last. "Eugene would you come reach these for me?"

She placed a hand on her hip as she pointed at the top shelf with the other. Luella found it quite annoying that she had so quickly been surpassed in height by her two sons as they grew into adulthood.

The year before Eugene left to study in Japan, Luella and her husband had thought that the twins would never stop growing. When Eugene returned from Japan, both boys were at least a foot taller than they had been before.

Eugene often teased Oliver because he was an inch taller and, according to their birth certificates, 14 minutes older. However, neither twin dared to poke fun at their short mother for her height, and both were willing to help reach things on tall shelves when asked.

Eugene reached the top shelf with ease and handed the chocolate chips down to his mother, who thanked him and returned to her cutting board.

"Would it help to recount the dream?" she asked Oliver in a soft voice.

Oliver straightened and did not reply. Luella gently laid a hand on his sleeve, prompting him to continue stirring. Luella was a psychologist, and one of the tricks she had learned to use with Oliver when she wished to talk to him was to have him focus on a simple task. This, along with helping him stay calm and gather his thoughts, helped him control his PK. If he were to become upset, he had a better chance of keeping his energy under control.

Luella set her knife down and leaned back on the counter.

"You don't have to tell me, but often if you don't speak about something, your brain may want to hold onto it even more." She crossed her arms. "That's why many people become obsessed with secrets if they must keep them."

Eugene got up from his stool once again and trotted up the stairs to leave his mother and brother to their conversation.

If you need a way out of this counseling session, let me know. Eugene offered through the link once he was upstairs. I'm a great distraction.

Oliver thanked his twin telepathically, but assured him that he could handle his mother on his own this time.

"I had a dream about Eugene," he admitted.

Luella nodded, prompting him to continue.

"It was not a dream like I have when I get a vision, so I'm not terribly worried about it, but it was..." He trailed off, his hand tightening slightly around the wooden spoon handle.

Luella frowned slightly.

"Did something happen to Eugene?"

Oliver nodded.

"I dreamed that he didn't return from Japan."

He tipped the opening of the bowl towards Luella so that she could see that the batter was smooth. She took the bowl from him, setting it on the counter and pulling a pan out of the cupboard.

"I'm sorry, dear."

She understood how hard it was for the twins to be apart. She had noticed it when Eugene was in Japan, and she couldn't imagine what it would be like for them if that situation had been permanent. Being twins without a supportive family, they were naturally used to being together and relying on each other throughout their childhood. It didn't take a psychologist to understand that about them.

Luella tapped the mixing bowl on the counter to rid the batter of air bubbles before pouring a small circle of the batter into the pan.

"Would you find me a spatula?" she asked over her shoulder.

Oliver took a metal spatula out of a drawer and handled it to her.

"Do you need help with anything else?" He drummed his fingers on the counter by the stove.

Luella shook her head.

"If you see your brother, tell him he can come help set the table, since I would assume that he is likely dressed by now." She flipped the pancake and grinned up at her son. "Thank you for asking!"

Oliver turned away and left the kitchen to go up stairs. He was still surprised at himself for disclosing the content his dream to his mother, but something in him felt reassured that it was the right thing to do.

As Oliver reached the top of the stairs, Eugene emerged from their shared bathroom, dressed in dark jeans and a clean shirt, drying his hair with a towel. He gave Oliver a lopsided grin as he passed him in the hallway.

"Mum wants you to set the table for breakfast!" Oliver called as he pushed the door to his own room open.

X~X~X

"Breakfast smells lovely." Martin kissed his wife on the forehead before taking his seat at the table next to her.

Luella had made chocolate chip pancakes with strawberries and cream to top them. She also set out plain and strawberry flavored syrup as well as fried eggs and ham.

"I can't wait to have breakfast with homemade honey!" Luella winked at Eugene as she took a bite of her pancake.

Martin looked perplexed for a moment before he remembered Eugene's new hobby.

"That's right!" He unfolded his napkin and placed it in his lap. "When are you going to begin keeping bees?"

"It does seem as if there has been a lot more buzz than honey, Eugene." Luella giggled, nudging her husband who rolled his eyes, yet laughed supportively.

Eugene held up his hands in defense.

"The starter colony has to be mailed to us, and I think that it will be here soon. Once it's here, we can put the bees in the hive when the weather is good next week." He finished in a matter-of-fact tone as he spooned sugar into his tea.

"I must say, I'm actually quite impressed," Martin complimented. "You seem to have really done your research on this."

Luella nodded in agreement.

"You know a lot about bees, huh?" She leaned forward, propping her elbows on the table. "I've yet to really understand, though. How did this all start? Why bees?"

Eugene perked up. "I'm so glad you asked, Mum! No one ever asks!" He began babbling on about the importance of bees to the environment and how they were endangered.

After a few seconds of Eugene's speech, Oliver and Martin made eye contact and let out a sigh in unison. However, Luella listened intently and nodded as Eugene spoke. She almost chuckled at her husband's reaction, as he had spoken about his research in parapsychology with just the same fervor at several breakfasts before. He had no right to be exasperated with talk of bees.

"I know what I'm doing is not a lot," Eugene wrung his napkin in his hands. "But it does help. The bees are super important and just one colony can make a lot of difference."

Luella beamed as she rose from the kitchen table, taking hers and Martin's plates.

"I'm glad to hear that you're doing your part, dear." She set the plates in the sink and came back to the table to pick up more finished dishes. "You're a true worker bee working to better the community, er, hive!"

Oliver and Eugene both rolled their eyes.

"Mum you are going to have to quit with that."

"With what?" she asked innocently, rinsing off a plate.

"The bee jokes." Eugene stood from the table and brought his plate to the sink.

"I really must agree with him, dear, you're getting out of hand." Martin agreed.

"Oh really?" Luella turned dramatically towards them, hand grabbing the work surface to steady herself. "Why must you all bee this way?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi this is future!Bee, coming from the year 2017. I edited this story because I was unhappy with it and didn't want to finish it in its former state. so, if it looks different to you, that's because it is! the editing is mostly for my peace of mind so that I will feel proud of the chapter(s?) to come! I have just started university and I love it so much because I have a ton of time to write! I am hoping to finish this story soon! If you haven't yet, please read the other stories I have published now, especially The Town of Cats because it's seriously one of the better things I think I've written. hope to have a new chapter out soon! thank you to Hannah for original editing!
> 
> Love, Bee
> 
> Edited 1/9/17


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey Mum," Eugene came trotting down the stairs at full speed. "Can I borrow the car?"

Luella was sitting in the living room reading with the TV on low volume. She bookmarked the page with her finger and looked up.

"Where do you need to go?"

"To the post office!" There was an overflowing excitement evident in Eugene's voice. "The bees are there."

Luella nodded, wondering how a teenage boy could be so obsessed with a thing like bees.

"I suppose they don't deliver the bees to our doorstep do they?"

Eugene shook his head.

"Alright," Luella conceded. She couldn't very well say no after all of the trouble Eugene had gone to. "But if your bees escape in the car, you will suffer one-hundred percent of the consequences." She pointed a nagging finger at her son in a motherly fashion.

Eugene was already halfway out the door by the time she finished speaking.

"I'll drive slow!" he called back over his shoulder, taking the keys to the family car from a glass bowl on in the counter.

X~X~X

Eugene locked the car and waltzed on light feet into the post office.

"Good morning, ma'am!" He held the door open for a sweet looking older lady wearing bright red lipstick and a fancy wool coat and gloves, despite the decent weather.

She grinned back at him. "Thank you!"

She stepped through the door and then turned her head back to converse with him more.

"I've never seen anyone so excited to visit the post office." She laughed quietly.

"I'm here to pick up an important package." Eugene rocked on the balls of his feet after they had stopped together to stand in the pickup line.

"Oh?" the woman questioned, her perfectly coiffed hair hardly moving as her head tilted.

Eugene nodded.

"I'm here to pick up a box of bees!" he said this with so much enthusiasm that it startled the old woman. He was so excited that he did not notice the stares he was getting from the other patrons of the store.

The woman gave him a questioning look.

"Bees?" She laughed again, a genuine throaty laugh. "Well at any rate," she trailed off, smoothing the front of her dress and looking off to the side. A sad expression took over her face before she spoke again. "I love the Post Office. My husband was a postman for 28 years, he was honored with an Imperial Service Medal in 1927."

Eugene's eyes narrowed as he looked at the woman again, suddenly realizing why her wardrobe seemed so out of place. He also finally noticed a woman blatantly staring at him. This woman was old, but she couldn't be that old, he thought. His mind immediately switched to helpful medium mode.

"How long were you and your husband married?" He couldn't tell if the woman knew she was dead or not, so he treaded lightly and hoped that he could lead her into conversation that would reveal how he should go about the conversation.

"Almost 57 years." She looked down at the front of her dress again sadly. "He passed away the month of our anniversary."

"I'm sorry to hear that, ma'am." Eugene's voice was soft. "Did you have any children?"

A confused look passed over the woman's face.

"I-I'm not truly sure." She frowned, tilting her head back to stare down the ceiling. "I'm sorry." She shook her head as if to clear her thoughts.

Eugene held out a hand for her to shake. "I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself, I'm Eugene Davis!" He gave her a charming smile.

"I'm Gladys Elliott." She smiled back at him, her fragile hand easily fitting inside his. "It's nice to meet you."

After breaking their handshake, they moved forward in line.

"Mrs, Elliott," Eugene began, facing her again fully and resting a hand on the divider between the queues. "I am someone called a medium, do you know what that is?"

She shook her head slowly.

"I'm afraid I don't."

Eugene took a deep breath. He hated being the bearer of this kind of news, but it was necessary for the spirit to move on.

"It means that I am able to speak to people who have died and not yet passed on."

Mrs. Elliott frowned her confused frown again.

"That is an interesting talent, dear." She tried to brush him off, but Eugene could tell that she was beginning to understand.

"Do you know if your husband has passed on?" he prodded gently, trying to meet her gaze.

She stood for a moment, staring down at her feet, not saying anything.

"I think so," she admitted finally, looking back up at Eugene's smiling face.

"If you would like, I can help you to get to him." Eugene held out his hand once more for the woman to take. At this point, they were no longer caught up with the post office line in front of them, but Eugene didn't care.

"Do you see a light in front of you, Mrs. Elliott?"

The woman no longer looked sad or confused. She smiled as she looked straight forward.

"Gladys," she said. "Call me Gladys."

Eugene nodded and then instructed her to walk forward into the light she saw. She whispered a name to herself and Eugene understood that she probably saw her husband in the light waiting for her.

"Goodbye, Gladys." He waved to her, grinning wildly as he was so happy to see that he'd helped the woman.

She smiled as she turned around to face him one last time.

"Thank you," she mouthed, her teary eyes glistening before she turned away from him and vanished.

Feeling a solemn peace, Eugene stepped forward in line. His unforeseen spiritual cleansing had passed the time quickly, though he imagined half of the post office patrons thought him insane for his seemingly one-sided conversation in line. He was now at the very front of the queue, waiting only for a woman who was buying a roll of stamps. The woman finished paying and the clerk called him up to the counter.

"I have a package here for Eugene Davis," he told the clerk, an older blonde woman with long, red artificial nails.

She looked him up and down.

"Please?" He grinned.

The woman said nothing but turned away and disappeared into the back room. Eugene chuckled to himself, finding it funny that he had a more productive conversation with a dead woman than a living one. The woman returned a moment later with a medium sized box that was wood on the top and bottom and mesh on the sides. There was a warning printed in bright red letters on the top of the box that read LIVE BEES: THIS SIDE UP. Eugene could see his bees buzzing around on the inside of the box through the mesh. He thanked the woman and picked up his box gently.

Eugene placed his box into the trunk of the family car. He felt as though he should say something, he was meeting his bees for the first time, but he had already seemingly spoken to himself in public once today so he decided against it. He made sure that the box was well secured in the trunk before closing it and hopping in the front seat. He pulled out of the post office parking lot at a snail's speed.

The entire way home, Eugene drove at 5 miles under the speed limit and kept away from main roads. The way he was driving, he might have been mistaken for Oliver.

When he finally pulled his car back into the driveway and parked, he said a silent prayer that his bees were okay. Opening the trunk, he heaved a sigh of relief in seeing that the box was still in tact. He picked up the box and shut the trunk with his elbow before walking towards the gate to the back yard. He set the box of bees down on the patio and then ran inside. He had already prepared a spray bottle of sugar water and he retrieved it from the cabinet.

He took the spray bottle back out to the patio and began spraying the mesh sides of the box with the mixture. As he did this, he inspected the bees and made sure that they were all, or at least mostly, alive. He knew that if more than a quarter of his colony hadn't made the trip, he would have to get more bees in order to ensure their survival. Luckily, most of his bees seemed happy and healthy, if not a little annoyed at the car trip. Eugene hoped that their sugar water meal would cheer his colony up. He left the spray bottle outside but ran back in to wash the stickiness off of his hands.

"Oh, Eugene, you're home." Luella turned the corner from the hallway into the kitchen. "Bees make it home alright?"

"Yeah, come see!" He dried his hands on the front of his shirt as he walked back out to the patio, his mother reluctantly following.

Luella underestimated how scary a colony of bees could be. Usually she was never that close to that many insects all at once. She could hardly get herself out the back door, even though they seemed reasonably secured in their box.

"Aren't they beautiful?" Eugene looked at the box in awe.

Luella gulped. "Not the adjective I would attach."

Martin passed by the patio door, tea in hand.

"Bees here?" He peeked out over his wife's head.

"Yes!" Eugene motioned wildly for his father to step out and view the bees. "Look at my girls! All ten thousand of them!"

"Ten thousand?!" Luella's eyes widened, she gripped the door frame for balance. "Why did I agree to let you keep ten thousand bees in my garden?"

Martin patted Luella's shoulder supportively before handing her his cup of tea and stooping down to observe the mesh box.

"Ten thousand?" He looked up at Eugene who nodded.

"I thought the box was only three pounds!" Luella was practically shaking.

Eugene chuckled, still staring happily at the bees buzzing about the box.

"How much do you think bees weigh, mum?"

Saying nothing, Luella retreated back inside, taking her husband's tea with her.

"Your mum's a brave woman, she'll get over it," Martin murmured, gently running a finger along the edge of the wooden box. "Fascinating creatures."

Eugene pointed towards a tiny box within the large box. The box was about the size of a match box and made mostly of mesh, there was a hole in the top covered by a red hard-candy.

"That's the queen," he told his father. "I need to get her into the hive before she eats her way out of that box."

Martin hummed, watching the queen in her capsule.

"Why is she separated from the rest?"

"Because the colony won't go into the hive if the queen isn't there," Eugene stood, motioning towards the hive in the yard. "The queen has to be easy to transport so that she can be the first to move in."

Martin nodded as he stood and clapped Eugene on the shoulder.

"I'm proud." He started inside. "You really did your research."

Eugene felt a flush of pride at his father's words. Once his father was inside, he turned back to his colony in the box, watching as they swarmed about.

"I hope that you guys like your new home," he cooed.

"Talking to the bees?"

Eugene turned towards the voice.

"Yes I'm talking to the bees," Eugene placed his hands on his hips. "Not far from talking to you except the bees are nicer."

Oliver rolled his eyes and walked away, leaving his brother to chat with his colony of insects all he wanted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi this is future!Bee, coming from the year 2017. I edited this story because I was unhappy with it and didn't want to finish it in its former state. so, if it looks different to you, that's because it is! the editing is mostly for my peace of mind so that I will feel proud of the chapter(s?) to come! I have just started university and I love it so much because I have a ton of time to write! I am hoping to finish this story soon! If you haven't yet, please read the other stories I have published now, especially The Town of Cats because it's seriously one of the better things I think I've written. hope to have a new chapter out soon! thank you to Hannah for original editing!
> 
> Love, Bee
> 
> Edited 1/9/17


	6. Chapter 6

Oliver was awakened by a loud knock on his bedroom door. He groaned in response as light from the hallway flooded in.

"Good morning, sleepyhead!" Eugene called through the door as he opened it all the way.

Oliver opened his eyes and blinked, looking first at his twin, already showered and dressed, and then at the digital clock on his bedside table, which read 9:30.

Eugene continued to smile from the doorway as Oliver glared back at him.

"Mum said to wake you,' he said after his first greeting had not been dignified with a response. "She has breakfast."

Oliver groaned again, "She always has breakfast."

"Not sleep well last night?" Eugene sounded sympathetic.

Oliver covered his face with his hands, muffling his voice.

"Try not slept at all last night," he sighed.

Eugene shrugged, "I'm sorry but you have to come to breakfast."

Oliver sighed again, louder this time.

"It's Mother's Day!" Eugene argued. "You have to come appreciate mum's cooking, at very least."

Oliver sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"You'd forgotten, hadn't you?" Eugene teased.

Oliver did not reply.

Eugene began to shut the door back behind him as he left.

"Five minutes," he warned. "Downstairs. Breakfast. Food. Eat." he continued, closing the door very slowly.

Oliver cut him off angrily, "I'll be down in three minutes."

"That's what I like to hear!" Eugene shut the door finally in one sharp motion.

X~X~X

Martin looked over his glasses at Eugene as he came trotting down the stairs.

"Oliver coming?" he asked, glancing at his watch.

Eugene nodded as he took his seat at the table.

"He said he's be down in three minutes," he said, unfolding his napkin.

Only a few moments passed before Oliver came trundling softly down the stairs.

"Morning," he grunted, sitting at his seat next to Eugene.

As soon as her family was seated, Luella strolled gracefully from the kitchen with a tray of tea and the final fixings for breakfast.

She sat, smiling at her boys and husband briefly before scooping brown sugar and dropping a few berries into her porridge.

Eugene cleared his throat quietly before speaking, "Happy Mother's Day, mum." He smiled.

Oliver echoed his brother, "Happy Mother's Day." He managed a small grin.

Finally, Martin repeated the phrase, "Happy Mother's Day, Lu." He winked.

Luella beamed, taking a tentative sip from her tea.

"Thank you!" She smiled, blinking away tears. "I'm so glad that you two allowed me to become your mother," she added in a soft voice.

The adoption had been a hard thing, and there were times when Luella was sure she could have done things differently. However, at this moment in time, she could finally see her family had come together beautifully, despite the difficult circumstances of the past. When she adopted the boys, the judge in adoption court had asked them if they wanted to allow Martin and Luella to be their parents, and in that crucial moment, both boys had said yes.

Despite her insistent blinking, Luella felt a tear drop and roll down her cheek.

"Muuum," Oliver groaned lightheartedly.

Eugene and Martin chuckled as Luella dried her eyes.

"I'm sorry!" She sniffled. "I just love you all so much." She let out a laugh that sounded as if she was choking on the air.

Martin put an awkward, comforting hand on the small of Luella's back and rubbed as she blotted her cheeks with a cloth napkin.

"What do we have planned for today, boys?" he offered, attempting to lighten the conversation.

Eugene grinned mischievously.

"I'm sorry, mum, but Mother's Day is also hiving day on the official beekeeping calendar. The bees will have to be let out of the box today, so that's first on the agenda."

Luella feigned exasperation, letting her hands fall dramatically into her lap.

"Of course!" She laughed.

Oliver cut in, "However, tonight we will be having dinner with Lin and Madoka."

"Oh?" Luella brightened. "How lovely!"

Martin leaned in closer to Luella and whispered, "If I'm not mistaken, there are flowers in your bedroom as well."

Luella returned a coy grin.

"You've all really outdone yourselves this year." She took a bite of her porridge, pondering as she chewed. "Well, despite the fact that I have to share Mother's Day with the bees..."

"Hey!" Eugene interjected. "The queen is the mother of the whole colony!"

"That's true." Luella considered, nodding. "I suppose I'll share the day if I must, but don't expect my participation in hiving them."

Martin grimaced.

"Dear, how can you be fearless in the face of a ghost yet so completely afraid of bees?"

"Ghosts don't sting!" she countered.

"I mean, they could." Oliver frowned. "Bee ghosts could…"

"Ghosts are not usually even all that scary," Eugene interrupted, sounding offended. "I would know."

"That's my point." Martin folded his hands. "Spirits are usually harmless and so are bees."

"Fine," Luella surrendered. "I will try to get over my fear eventually." She took a sip of her tea. "As soon as you finish your breakfast, now eat." She finished, giving Oliver a pointed look.

X~X~X

Eugene felt a mix of excitement and apprehension swirl in his stomach as he dressed himself in his clothes for beekeeping. Over his normal costume of a graphic t-shirt and jeans, he put on a bright red nylon rain jacket with elastic in the cuffs and bottom so that bees could not crawl inside.

He also put on a pair of wellington boots, with thick athletic socks underneath that he had folded over his jeans to keep the bees out. Finally, he pulled on a pair of gardening gloves and covered his head with the veiled beekeeping hat, though he kept the veil back as he was still inside.

"Aw!" Luella squealed as she saw Eugene come down the stairs in his beekeeping getup.

"You look so cute!" She clasped her hands together, grinning wildly.

"Mum," he mumbled, fiddling with the brim of his hat. "Please."

Luella managed to contain herself as she watched her son step out into the back yard.

Eugene pulled his veil down to cover his face and braced himself as he picked up the buzzing box of bees. He lugged it from the back porch to the patch of grass where his yellow hive stood, ready to welcome its new inhabitants.

"Okay girls," Eugene murmured to the box as he set it down. "I'm kinda nervous about this but I'm sure we all are."

He gently picked up the bottle of artificial smoke spray as if the movement of the bottle would disturb the bees. He sprayed the box four or five times and waited for the colony to appear more calm.

"Here goes nothing," he whispered under his breath as he bravely unlatched the box and pulled the top off. The bees stirred, creating an almost peaceful low humming sound. The majority of the colony was still separated from Eugene by a layer of gray mesh. Before they could be released, he had to transfer the queen to her chamber of the hive so that her subjects would follow.

Gingerly, Eugene took the queen's box, a wire mesh enclosure the size of a matchbox and opened the center rack of the yellow bee hive. He placed the queen in the middle of her rack as she buzzed in a small circle around her box. He was not worried about her stinging him because he was wearing gloves and he knew that a queen's sting would not mean death for the queen herself. However, despite his resolve, his hands still trembled as he transported the queen's enclosure to her permanent home within the hive.

Once he was satisfied with the queen's placement, Eugene took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for the next step of the hiving. He had read over the procedure several times in several different books and on several websites. All of this preparation could not prepare him for the terrifying and exciting real life event of hiving his own bees.

After opening the hive up completely, he carefully peeled back the mesh lining over the top of the box and gently picked up the box. He was pleasantly surprised at his own composure as he did not startle when a few rogue bees came to buzz around his face and crawl across his arms. Through the thin fabric of his jacket, he could feel the tickle of brave bees checking him out. As gracefully as he could manage, Eugene tipped the box slowly over the hive and allowed the bees to fly or crawl out. The majority of the colony drifted to the hive, exploring their new home with some trepidation. A small few, crawled around the box and found their way to Eugene's gloved hands.

"Yo," he whispered, chuckling.

Slowly, he set the box back down in the grass and stood still with his arms extended, careful not to squish any of his bees with his movements. He looked up at the sky, breathing quietly and allowing his bees to crawl on his jacket and gloves. He smiled, fear melting away as a few of the braver bees came to sit on his veil, suspended directly in front of his face.

Eventually, the bees crawling on Eugene lost interest in his red jacket and went to join the rest of the colony in their new hive. Eugene inched the hive shut, leaving just the bee-sized cracks for their normal entries and exits. Pleased with how smoothly the hiving had gone, Eugene smiled at the yellow hive, now buzzing, literally, with activity.

Making sure that no intrepid bees had followed him inside, Eugene shut the back door and began to remove his rain boots. He left them by the threshold along with his gloves.

"How did you do that?' Luella asked, peering at him from her chair by the back window. She shuddered, "Let them crawl all over you like that."

Eugene merely shrugged, "The same way I speak to spirits, I suppose."

"And how's that?" She inclined her head towards him in question.

"By remembering that they are more afraid of me than I am of them." He flexed his arm and his voice became gruff. "I'm a big strong Gene," he said, and dropped his arm as he altered his voice again and made it high pitched. "And they're just itty-bitty bees." He pinched his thumb and index finger together to illustrate their size.

Luella nodded, wearing a skeptical frown.

"Right."

Oliver, now dressed in a black shirt and jeans rather than his pajamas, paused at the foot of the stairs and regarded Eugene.

"Did you release the colony?' he asked, glancing at the back door.

"Yep!" Eugene preened. "And I did not get stung, not even one singular time!"

Oliver scoffed, "What you're wearing was only a few protective layers short of a NASA issued spacesuit. If your bees could find a way to sting you through that, they must be much more clever than the average bee."

Eugene seemed to take offence at this, but for the sake of the average bee and not the average Eugene.

"Bees are very intelligent creatures and I am sure that they would find a way to sting me if they wanted to." He turned in the direction of the back yard so that he was addressing the colony. "You're just so thankful to me for giving you such a lovely home, right girls?"

Oliver shook his head at his brother's ridiculousness.

"I do hope that you don't expect them to answer." He smirked. "Because then we may have to have a discussion debating your intelligence."

The twins' banter was interrupted by Martin, who walked right between them speaking to Luella.

"Are you ready?" he addressed Luella, fumbling distractedly with the final button on his shirt.

Luella laughed, "Are you?"

"Where are you going?" Oliver asked, crossing his arms.

Martin gave Oliver a pointed look.

"Your mother and I are going out," he reported vaguely.

He's taking Mum out so that we can cook dinner for her. Eugene clarified, using the psychic connection so that Luella could not hear.

"Okay," Oliver nodded. "Have fun."

Martin bid his sons goodbye and Luella gathered her purse as she followed her husband out the door.

As the door shut, Oliver turned towards Eugene with one eyebrow raised.

"We're cooking dinner?" he asked, skeptical.

"Yeah," Eugene trailed off, glancing about the sitting room. "I told Dad that we could handle it but I'm thinking we should call and ask Lin for help."

"Good plan." Oliver nodded resolutely and made to pull out his phone from his pocket.

After a short phone conversation, both parties using as few words as possible, Lin had agreed to come to the twins rescue. At Eugene's suggestion, Oliver had even invited Madoka over so that they could stay for dinner.

"Madoka and Lin are practically children of Luella's anyways," Eugene had cited.

Oliver rolled his eyes.

"Okay, thanks," he continued into the phone. "See you in a few."

"They're coming?" Eugene asked once Oliver had hung up his phone.

Oliver squinted at his twin.

"What do you think?" he scowled.

"I try not to think at all!" Eugene laughed, now simply carrying on in an effort to annoy his brother.

Oliver pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You're doing a fine job of not thinking, Eugene." He sighed. "Sometimes I wonder if you've ever thought."

Eugene only shrugged, "So what if I haven't?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi this is future!Bee, coming from the year 2017. I edited this story because I was unhappy with it and didn't want to finish it in its former state. so, if it looks different to you, that's because it is! the editing is mostly for my peace of mind so that I will feel proud of the chapter(s?) to come! I have just started university and I love it so much because I have a ton of time to write! I am hoping to finish this story soon! If you haven't yet, please read the other stories I have published now, especially The Town of Cats because it's seriously one of the better things I think I've written. hope to have a new chapter out soon! thank you to Hannah for original editing!
> 
> Love, Bee
> 
> Edited 1/9/17


	7. Chapter 7

"Hello," Lin nodded at the twins as he stepped through the front door. He was carrying several grocery bags full of ingredients for the dinner he would be making.

Eugene grinned at Lin as he went to the kitchen and set the bags down on the island.

"What?" Lin raised an eyebrow at Eugene's smile. "Do you need something?"

Eugene shrugged.

"No," he said. "I'm just glad Noll called you."

Oliver nodded, agreeing with this sentiment.

"I wanted to make sure that I had all of the ingredients I needed." Lin frowned.

"Right," Eugene took a seat at the bar. "Carry on, then."

Lin's frown deepened.

"Oh no," he scolded. "You're going to help."

Eugene pouted.

"She's your mother!"

Oliver smirked as he began taking the groceries out of the bags and assembling them on the counter. From the look of the ingredients, Lin was planning to prepare some sort of pasta with cheese sauce.

"You're not cooking Chinese food?" Eugene joined his brother in organizing the ingredients.

Lin shook his head, donning one of Luella's yellow, ruffled aprons.

"Oh, that's a good look for you!" Eugene laughed, surprised at the sight of Lin in a frilly apron.

Lin glared.

"And getting pasta all over the front of your shirt would be a great look for you, Eugene," he remarked gruffly. "You'll leave my apron and I alone if you know what's good for you." He turned away and pulled a saucepan and a skillet from a cabinet under the island.

"What do you need me to do?" Oliver asked, putting the last grocery sack into the recycling bin.

"Olive oil?" Lin placed the pans on top of the stove.

Eugene nodded, swinging around the counter to retrieve a bottle of olive oil from the cabinet above the stove.

Lin began washing the vegetables he brought and directed Oliver to find him a cutting board. Once he was satisfied with the vegetables, he took out a knife from the bag he had brought from home. He began chopping courgette into small half moon shapes, doing this with an almost inhuman efficiency.

"Where's Madoka?" Eugene hopped onto the counter as he watched Lin work.

Lin paused his cutting for a moment.

"She's still at work, but she'll be here soon." He finished chopping the courgette and dumped it into the skillet. "Spatula?"

Following Lin's instructions, the twins helped him to prepare a light pasta dish and crostini to serve as appetisers in little over an hour.

As Oliver was beginning to set the table, Madoka arrived with a homemade strawberry and cream tart.

"Looks wonderful, Koujo," Madoka remarked, reaching up to press a kiss to her boyfriend's cheek. "And the apron's not half bad, either."

Lin blushed and gave a small grin in response, setting down the spatula to give Madoka's arm a small squeeze.

Madoka giggled at Lin's attempt at skinship, turning to Oliver and Eugene.

"When are your parents due home?"

Oliver glanced up at the clock on the dining room wall.

"Any minute now, really. We told Dad we were eating at six."

Madoka nodded, removing her sweater and draping it over the back of a chair.

As if on cue, the front door swung open and Martin and Luella strolled in. Lin was just setting the dish of pasta on the table.

"Oh, boys!" Luella squealed as she removed her jacket, nearly jumping at the sight of the neat table setting. "This is so sweet!"

Eugene laughed, "Thank Lin, it was mostly him doing the cooking."

"Lin, it looks wonderful." Luella gave Lin a nod, grinning.

"Happy Mother's Day!" Madoka wrapped her arms around Luella's neck in a quick hug. "I'm so happy to know you!"

Luella was on the verge of tears again. She adored Oliver and Eugene, but she also loved being a mother figure to Lin and Madoka.

"Don't cry again, dear." Martin patted Luella's arm, unsure of what else he could do.

Luella giggled, fanning her face in an effort to keep from crying.

"You're just all so sweet!" Luella smiled at each member of her family in turn. "How could I not be emotional?"

Madoka laughed, feeling emotional herself as she saw Luella in her currents state.

"Shall we eat?" Martin offered, waving his hand toward the food on the table.

"Don't want it to get cold." Lin frowned at the plate of crostini, which was not in danger of getting cold at all, as the topping was made of fresh tomatoes.

"Right," Luella took her seat and motioned for the others to do the same. "This looks too good to waste."

The rest of the family took their seats around the table and Lin began to serve the food.

"Thank you so much for helping the boys cook, Lin." Luella winked. "I feel like we narrowly escaped disaster."

"Hey!" Eugene pouted. "We would have done a good job on our own…"

"Of course, dear!" Luella winked.

"So, Eugene, how are the bees?" Madoka asked as she took a crostini from the tray being passed around. "You put them in the hive today, yeah?"

Eugene nodded enthusiastically.

"Yep! It was awesome!" He stabbed a piece of courgette with his fork. "I didn't get stung at all!"

"He was wearing near seven layers of clothes, though," Oliver muttered before taking a tiny bite of his pasta.

Martin laughed, "The boy knows when to use caution."

"I'm glad it went well, Eugene." Madoka smiled at him graciously. "After we eat, I'd like to peek out at the hive all painted, it looked so cute in the photo."

"Noll was a great model in that picture too," Eugene commented, giving his brother a mischievous sideways glance.

"I always look good." Oliver frowned.

The table gave a good-natured laugh. Each person thankful for the family they had been adopted into, officially or not.

As they finished dinner, Madoka got up to serve her dessert, cutting it into six even triangles.

"This is lovely, Madoka, you didn't have to make dessert." Luella smiled brightly as Madoka set her slice in front of her.

"I wanted to!" Madoka moved on, setting a dessert plate in front of Martin and returning to the counter for two more plates to serve. "You're practically a mum to Koujo and I anyways, it's the least I could do after everything you've done for us."

Madoka smiled, recalling the memory of her first year in England. She had been completely overwhelmed with a strange country's customs. When she met the Davises, they had helped her to feel more at home, and even given her a job teaching their boys. This, of course, had led to her getting a job at the SPR and meeting Koujo. Madoka owed her entire life to Luella's helpful nature.

"You're amazing, dear." Luella smiled, watching Madoka pass out the plates.

Madoka blushed as she finally took her seat next to Lin. She carefully took his hand in hers, giving it a squeeze.

"Madoka and I have something we'd like to tell you." Lin sat up straighter, setting down his fork. "We wanted to tell you earlier but we couldn't because of the case."

The table was silent, waiting for one of them to speak again.

"Koujo and I…" Madoka took a deep breath. "We're going to get married."

"Oh my!" Luella was over the moon. For the third time that day, her eyes were brimming with tears. She had been jockeying for Lin and Madoka to get married since Madoka's first day as Martin's student. "I'm so excited for you!"

"It's going to be small," Madoka said, one hand nervously playing with her placemat. "We really can't afford much but…"

"You can have your wedding here!" Luella nearly jumped out of her seat with excitement. "In the garden," she added. "I'll help as much as I can."

Lin and Madoka gave each other a look.

"That would be amazing. We want to keep it small, though, so nothing too much, yes?"

"And," Lin added. "We would like for Oliver and Eugene to be my best men."

Eugene's eyes widened.

"Really?"

"Of course," Lin managed a small grin. "You're like my little brothers after all."

"Lin, what is with you today?" Eugene joked. "You've gone soft!"

"Shh…" Luella scolded. "Leave him be, he's in love."

Lin blushed.

"I'm still stronger than both of you combined." He glanced at Oliver and Eugene in turn. He jokingly flexed his arms, showing some muscle, but not much.

This earned another laugh from the table.

"I know better than to cross Lin," Oliver muttered. "Even if he has gone soft."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey! remember me? remember this story? I finally updated! You Are Welcome.  
> thank you to Hannah, Elv, and Kel for beta reading this chapter!  
> please rate and review if you have the time!
> 
> Love, Bee


	8. Chapter 8

For the first time in several months, Eugene was suiting up into full protective gear to work with the bees. Since his first spring as a beekeeper, Eugene had slowly gotten used to checking on the bees with less and less protective gear. After some time, he was able to go out in plain clothes and check on the bees without being stung.

Today, though, Eugene was gearing up for his first real honey harvest. He had put on his jacket and wellington boots and had his gloves ready, but he couldn't find his netted hat anywhere. Maybe he'd misplaced it.

"Noll?" Eugene poked his head through the door to Oliver's room. "You seen my netted hat?"

Oliver looked his brother up and down.

"I thought you went out without gear now," he frowned. "Why do you need the hat?"

"Because," Eugene bounced impatiently. "I'm going to harvest the honey!"

Oliver looked as though did not fully understand.

"Sometimes they sting when you mess with their food," Eugene explained. "I would too!"

Oliver sighed, standing up from his desk chair. He went over to his closet and opened it up, producing the netted hat.

Eugene knitted his brows.

"Why do you have this?"

"Because I prefer reading out by the bees to helping Mother with the wedding planning."

Eugene nodded, understanding. He had been looped into helping with several aspects of planning Lin and Madoka's wedding. He was best man, after all. Rather, he was one of the best men. Eugene had half a mind to call Oliver out for avoiding his duties as part of the wedding party. However, Eugene himself was quite guilty of using the bees as an escape from his mum.

"Thank you!" Eugene snatched the hat and left his twin to his reading.

Now in possession of all of his beekeeping gear, Eugene stepped out onto the back patio. He closed the door behind him and pulled on his gloves. He picked up his hive tool, bucket, and smoker from the patio bench and pulled the net of his hat over his face.

"Morning, girls," he greeted the beehive. "Who's ready for the harvest?"

He directed a few puffs of smoke through the cracks of the hive. A few days prior, he had placed an escape under the top layer of the hive where the excess honey was stored. This had allowed most of the bees exit into the bottom of the hive, but did not let them back up. There should be very few bees in the top by now.

Eugene pulled the lid off of the top of the hive. Sure enough, there were only a few stray bees inside. He took the first frame from the hive, carefully brushing two stray bees from the honeycomb.

"Look at this!" He was so excited to see the product of his bees' hard work. "You girls are magnificent!"

He carefully removed the frames one by one, placing them in his large bucket. Once he had done this, he refilled the hive with empty framed. He did this with some fumbling, as this was his first time to harvest. Eugene had watched so many videos online of beekeepers, but actually doing it himself was quite different.

"Eugene?" Luella called from the back door. "Are you coming to help pick up the cake?"

"Um," Eugene pushed an empty frame into place. "I'm a bit busy, make Noll go!"

Luella sighed, "Alright. See you in a bit!"

Eugene closed the top of the hive and removed the escape so the bees now had full access to the layers where excess honey was stored. He made sure to thank the bees before taking his honey inside.

Now was time for processing the honey.

Eugene had prepared the kitchen for this project beforehand, and had cleared the activity with his mother. The kitchen island was covered with a protective layer of newspaper, and the honey extractor he had purchased was atop an old towel.

Using a knife dipped in hot water, Eugene began cutting away the wax comb on the frames. He collected the wax in a large bowl. Luella had talked about making candles from the wax, so Eugene was keeping it for her.

Once each frame was clean, he placed them into the extractor. Cranking the machine for about a minute and a half before flipping the frames and repeating the process. The extractor used the force from spinning the frames to make the honey drip down to the bottom. After a few minutes of letting the honey settle, Eugene would be able to open a spigot at the bottom of the machine and pour honey into jars.

As the honey settled in the extractor, Eugene set to work preparing the jars for the honey. He uncapped them and set them out in neat rows. From the craft store on her latest trip for wedding decorations, Luella had purchased for him spools of yellow ribbon. Eugene had printed and cut out labels for each jar with the date of his harvest in pretty cursive font.

He and Oliver, being roped into helping in one way or another, had painstakingly attached each of these labels to the jars with the ribbon.

Once each jar was opened and lined up, Eugene took the first one and held it under the extractor tap.

Perfect, golden honey poured out into the jar. He filled all 25 of his jars with the rich honey. By the time he was putting the lid on his last jar, Luella and Oliver returned with Madoka and Lin's wedding cake.

"Finished already?" Luella stared in disbelief at the military rows of jarred honey. "We weren't gone that long."

"Yes we were," Oliver huffed, helping his mother to set the cake down on the dining room table. "We were gone ages."

"You're over exaggerating, dear." Luella rolled her eyes. "At any rate, Madoka and Lin are coming over to look at the cake in a minute, I expect you're cleaning up your mess now?"

Eugene nodded.

"Yeah," He took three spoons from a kitchen drawer and held them out. "Would you like to try some honey?"

"Of course!"

Eugene divvied the last drops from the extractor tap onto the three spoons and handed two off to his brother and mother, keeping the last for himself. Eagerly, he tasted the honey on the spoon. It was sweet, but very much unlike the honey one could buy in the store. He could taste faint flavours of his mother's roses in it. The honey was incredible.

"This is amazing," Luella crooned. "I'm so proud of you!"

Oliver nodded in agreement.

"If I ever feel like having honey in my tea, I reckon this won't be terrible."

That was as good a compliment Eugene could expect from his twin.

"I can't wait for Madoka and Lin to try it! Oh," Eugene paused. "That reminds me, I need you to keep this jar set aside." He handed one jar of honey to his mother.

"Why?"

A sly grin played over Eugene's lips.

"You'll see."

X~X~X

"Eugene!" Luella called. "I'm telling you if you are not dressed I'm going to have a fit!"

Eugene opened his bedroom door, just as he was shrugging on his suit jacket.

"I'm dressed, I'm dressed!"

Luella looked him up and down before giving a terse nod.

"Go help your father with the chairs," she ordered before turning and knocking on Oliver's door. "Oliver!"

Eugene hurried down the stairs and through the doors to the back porch, dodging several people on his way out.

"Gene," Martin waved him over. "Come help with—"

"The chairs, I know!" Eugene said, already on the job.

Soon, Oliver joined them outside and began to help straighten the white chairs into neat rows. Martin lay a long length of lacy fabric between the two sections to form an aisle. He asked Eugene and Oliver to spread yellow and pink flower petals along the path.

Luella, having finished with her preparations of the cake inside the house, was now in the back garden with her husband and sons looking over their work.

"Eugene," she turned to the older twin. "Could you go check on Madoka? She's locked away in the bedroom."

Eugene laughed, "Locked away?"

"Lin can't see her until the ceremony!"

"Right!" Eugene ran back into the house before his mother could change her mind.

He knocked on the door to his parents' master bedroom.

"Madoka?"

"Come in!" a voice squeaked from inside.

Eugene opened the door with some trepidation. Inside, he found Madoka in her silk robe, sitting at Luella's vanity and carefully picking apart a blueberry muffin.

Eugene chuckled, "You look like you're about to jump out of a plane."

"I'm fine!" Madoka forced a nervous laugh. She clasped her hands tightly. "Do you need something?"

Eugene took a seat on the edge of his parents' bed, studying Madoka's reflection in the vanity mirror from behind.

"You don't sound fine," he accused. "Got cold feet?"

"No!" Madoka jumped.

"Chill!" Eugene stifled a laugh. "I was just kidding. You and Lin are the most perfect couple ever."

"Really?" Madoka asked in a quiet voice. "Why do you say that?"

"Because Lin is all aloof and stoic and you're all sweet and nerdy. It's a perfect opposites attract deal. My mother's been planning your wedding since she met you guys."

Madoka again clasped her shaking hands.

"I think that's exactly why I'm so nervous," she admitted. "It seems like it's too good to be true."

Eugene gave a supportive nod.

"What if we've hyped it up so much that the actual marriage isn't what I wanted."

Eugene silently cursed his mother. He did not sign up for calming-the-bride duties.

"Do you want me to go get Mum?" he offered. "She probably would be a lot more of a help here…"

"Isn't she busy with the flowers?"

Eugene sighed, "Right." He resigned himself to his post as Madoka's emotional support. "Have anything else you need to talk about?"

"I wish Lin's parents didn't hate me," Madoka heaved a heavy sigh. "For one."

Oh dear. Eugene was definitely not qualified for this.

"Um," His brain was working overtime trying to formulate a response that didn't sound trite. "Madoka, I'm sure if they met you they would love you! They're just being close-minded and awful."

Madoka frowned. She looked as though she was on the verge of tears.

Noll! Eugene called out to his twin via their psychic connection. I need your help with Madoka!

Oliver, probably excited to have something to do away from his frantic mother responded in a hurry.

I'm on my way.

Only a few seconds later, Oliver appeared in the doorway of the room.

What's going on? He looked back and forth between Eugene and the distraught Madoka.

"Noll!" Madoka exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

Oliver pointed at his brother.

"Eugene called for backup."

Hug her. Eugene ordered his brother through their psychic connection.

Sorry, what?

Eugene gave him a pointed look.

Oliver sighed deeply before taking a step toward the bride in distress. He wrapped his arms around her awkwardly.

"There, there," he said robotically, patting her on the back.

Madoka, now almost entirely forgetting her previous emotional outburst, laughed at Oliver's terrible attempt at consoling her.

"Thank you, Noll." She sniffed. "You're such a help."

Eugene took this distraction as an opportunity to escape the room. He closed the door behind him and immediately ran into the groom.

"Lin!" he scolded. "You weren't thinking of seeing the bride before the ceremony were you?" In that moment, Eugene sounded very much like his mother.

"I only wanted to talk to her," Lin frowned. "She could hear me through the door."

Eugene wheeled Lin out of the hallway and into the sitting room.

"You can't talk to her, it's bad luck."

Lin's frown deepened.

"I don't believe in luck."

"Well I don't care!" Eugene wagged a finger in Lin's face. "If my mother catches me letting you break tradition, she will have my head."

Lin heaved a defeated sigh and took a seat on the couch.

"Fine."

Eugene rolled his eyes.

"What are you worried about?"

As best man, Eugene felt it was his duty to be emotional support for the groom. This also helped assuage his guilt at leaving his twin to deal with the bride.

"I've just never been this nervous before," Lin wrung his hands. "I feel like everything is changing."

"Everything is changing," Eugene perched himself atop the wooden coffee table across from Lin. "But, like, in the best way possible."

Lin nodded.

"I just want to talk to her."

Eugene pursed his lips, trying to think of a way around tradition.

"I could deliver a message," he finally offered.

Lin took a shaky breath. It was odd, for Eugene, to see this emotional side of the usually icy Lin.

"Tell her that I'm really happy," he said. "And that everything is going to be okay."

Eugene nodded dutifully and patted the groom on the knee before disappearing back into the master bedroom to deliver the message.

"Madoka," he knocked on the door before entering.

At some point during Eugene's talk with Lin, Luella had come to finish Madoka's makeup. Madoka did not respond at all, for fear of ruining Luella's work.

"Do you need something, Gene?" Luella tapped blush gently onto Madoka's cheekbones. "We're a little busy."

"I, um," he wondered if his message would be considered bad luck. "I have a message from the groom."

Luella did not stop him, so Eugene took this as permission to deliver his message.

"Lin says," he made eye contact with Madoka. "That he's really happy and that everything is going to be okay."

Eugene could literally see the joy in Madoka's eyes.

"Thank you, Eugene." Madoka beamed. "Tell him that we'll be ready before he knows it."

"Will do!" Eugene saluted Madoka and his mother before hastily leaving the room.

Lin was pacing the living room floor.

Eugene could not help but laugh. This wedding had Lin acting like a completely different person.

"Madoka said to tell you that she'll be ready soon." He grabbed Lin's shoulder to steady him. "Calm down."

Lin nodded graciously.

"That last bit was from me," Eugene laughed. "Calm down."

Luella peeked her head out from the bedroom.

"Eugene," she called. "Tell everyone that we need to be in places in thirty minutes. We're getting the dress on now."

Eugene gave his mother a thumbs up, patted Lin hard on the back, and went in search of his father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was going to be the last chapter but it got to be too long oops  
> thank you to Hannah for editing!  
> please rate and review if you don't mind!
> 
> Love, Bee


	9. Chapter 9

Madoka and Lin's wedding party was quite small. On Madoka's side, her Maid of Honour was her cousin on her mom's side and best friend Yuri. She had two girls from BSPR on her side as well, Bella and Margaret. Lin, of course, had both twins on his side sharing the role of Best Man. He had asked a man named Jim from BSPR who he had gone to university with to be his third groomsman.

Yuri, Madoka's Maid of Honour, had been arranging the cake and dessert table inside the Davis' home. Now, however, she was finally helping Luella get Madoka into her dress.

The Davis' back garden was now full of people. The wedding was far enough from the beehive that no one seemed to notice. Eugene had puffed some smoke in earlier to calm them. He made a mental note to do that again before the ceremony.

Eugene made eye-contact with his father, who was chatting with Jim near a stack of extra chairs. He quickly made his way over to them.

"Mum said that Madoka will be ready in thirty minutes, so places then and we'll start in about forty-five I reckon."

Jim nodded dutifully.

"Anything else I can do?" he asked.

"You can go check on the groom," Eugene chuckled. "Lin is a whole mess."

Martin laughed, "I never thought I'd see the day."

Jim gave a terse nod before leaving them in search of the groom.

"How's the bride holding up?" Martin stuck his hands in his pockets and rocked on the balls of his feet. "She's not cried yet has she?"

"She's cried, but I think she's holding it together now that her makeup is finished."

"Poor thing. Madoka's such a nervous crier."

Eugene raised an eyebrow as if to ask why his father knew this.

"I knew her as a student," he explained with a chuckle. "If anyone is to cry from nerves, university is the place to do it."

Eugene laughed, knowing exactly what that was like. Luckily, he had nerves of steel and only cried when he saw something super cute on the internet.

At that moment, two young children tackled Eugene by the legs.

"Genie!" one shouted, a young girl in a pale pink dress.

The other, a boy in a yellow dress shirt and pants, silently hugged Eugene's calf.

Eugene feigned great excitement.

"Marie!" He scooped the girl into his arms. "We've been waiting all day for you to come! Don't you know the wedding can't go on without a flower girl?"

Marie giggled, seemingly pleased with her important role in the wedding.

"And you!" Eugene reached down to ruffle the boy's hair. "Where have you been, Anthony? You brought the rings, didn't you?"

The young boy blanched, afraid now that he had forgotten to bring the rings.

Martin laughed, "Eugene's only joking. The rings are safe with me."

The quiet young boy sighed in great relief, earning a laugh from Martin and Eugene. Marie giggled too, though she did not seem to need a reason to do so.

Marie and Anthony were the children of Margaret, one of Madoka's bridesmaids and coworkers at BSPR. Eugene, being quite good with kids, had been asked to babysit them on occasion. They were assigned the roles of flower girl and ring-bearer.

Their mother appeared, dressed in her yellow bridesmaid gown.

"Eugene, could you keep an eye on them until we get in places for the ceremony?"

Eugene nodded.

"Of course!"

Margaret gave a grateful smile and headed inside to find the bride.

As guests filed in and took their seats, Eugene danced to imaginary music with the smallest members of the wedding party. Oliver joined them outside too, though he did not participate in the dancing.

"Nollie!" Marie grabbed Oliver's hand. "You and Genie look so alike in the same clothes! You're matchers!"

Oliver laughed, squeezing the girl's hand back.

"Don't we look handsome side by side?" he asked, smirking.

Marie blushed.

"We're a handsome pair indeed," Eugene laughed.

Eugene glanced at his watch. It was almost time for the ceremony to start. As soon as he thought this, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Madoka's ready," Martin said, giving Eugene's shoulder a squeeze.

Eugene nodded, grabbing Marie and Anthony.

"Time to get started!" He and Oliver led them to the patio, where the rest of the wedding party was convening.

"Thank you so much, Eugene!" Margaret took her children from Eugene.

Luella gave Marie a white wicker basket full of pink and yellow rose petals while the maid of honour outfitted Anthony with the pillow that held the wedding bands.

The wedding party lined up in pairs. Eugene with Yuri, Oliver with Margaret, and Jim with Bella.

As soon as Luella gave the signal, the interlude music began to play. Lin and the priest were at the front under an arch, and the mingling guests finished taking their seats.

The processional music began, and Eugene took Yuri's arm. They began their walk down the aisle, as practiced. Parting at the end, Eugene moving to the groom's side while Yuri went to stand opposite him on the bride's side.

Oliver followed with Margaret, then Jim and Bella.

Eugene watched Luella give Marie and Anthony, the young flower girl and ring-bearer, a small push down the aisle. Marie smiled, spreading petals unevenly as she walked, finally coming to a stop in front of her mother. Anthony came to stand in front of Eugene.

Finally, Madoka and Martin came from inside the Davis' house. Lin did not even try to hide the joy on his face. He looked uncharacteristically stunned. Madoka joined her free arm with Luella's and the three walked down the aisle together. She had wanted both Luella and Martin to give her away.

Madoka was beautiful. Her pale pink hair was pinned up and decorated with white flowers under her long veil. Her dress was form-fitting and lacy, with a heart-shaped neckline and simple gray belt.

She was holding Martin and Luella's arms tightly as she walked, shaking with excitement.

The Davises got to be family to both the bride and groom that day.

Luella, already crying, squeezed Madoka's hand as she let her husband present the bride to Lin. Martin and Luella took their seats in the front together.

The priest began the actual ceremony. Eugene was quite certain that Lin had not smiled this much in his entire life. Throughout all the vows and the saying of 'I do', Lin was beaming. Madoka, even more surprisingly still, did not cry.

"You may now kiss the bride."

Madoka laughed as Lin eagerly gathered her up into a rushed kiss. Usually, he was not one for public displays of affection. Today was clearly Lin's day for abnormal behaviour. Being his wedding day, Lin had a pass to be as outwardly happy and affectionate as he wanted.

Madoka giggled, kissing Lin one more time before taking his hand and walking together back down the aisle, disappearing into the Davis' house.

Eugene made eye-contact with his mother sitting on the front row. She was frantically dabbing at her eyes with Martin's handkerchief.

Martin stood before the crowd.

"The bride and groom would like to thank you for coming and invite you to stay for cake, drinks, and hors d'oeuvres inside," he announced.

Guests began mingling once more, slowly making their way into the Davis home.

Lin and Madoka had decided against a traditional reception since neither one of them much cared for dancing. They did, however, expect speeches from the prominent members of their bridal party.

Eugene was first to toast, holding a flute of champagne that he did not really fancy drinking. He did not care much for the taste. In the other hand, he held the jar of honey that his mother had set aside.

"I am so, so happy that Lin and Madoka are finally getting married. I was getting tired of my mother talking about how much she thought they should marry."

The crowd laughed, seeing Luella shake her head at Eugene's words.

"In my mother's defence," Eugene continued. "She was right."

The crowd laughed again.

"Also, I would just like all of us to appreciate how much Lin has smiled today!" Eugene indicated Lin with the rim of his glass. "I don't think he's ever smiled this much in his life."

"Now," Eugene held up the jar of honey in his hand. "You're all probably wondering why I have this. This is the very first jar of honey from my bees and I want to present it to Lin and Madoka. There is an old Polish wedding song that says, 'Diligent is the life on a farm, like the life of the bee, and marriage is sweet as honey.'" Eugene handed the jar to Madoka who accepted it happily.

"A toast," Eugene raised his glass. "To a genuine smile, a happy couple, and a life as sweet as honey."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi! I was just crossposting all of these stories to my AO3 account and I realized that I never posted the last chapter! sorry to keep you waiting, I guess.  
> thank you, as always to Hannah (snavej) for editing!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this story!
> 
> Love,
> 
> Bee

**Author's Note:**

> hi this is future!Bee, coming from the year 2017. I edited this story because I was unhappy with it and didn't want to finish it in its former state. so, if it looks different to you, that's because it is! the editing is mostly for my peace of mind so that I will feel proud of the chapter(s?) to come! I have just started university and I love it so much because I have a ton of time to write! I am hoping to finish this story soon! If you haven't yet, please read the other stories I have published now, especially The Town of Cats because it's seriously one of the better things I think I've written. hope to have a new chapter out soon! thank you to Hannah for original editing!
> 
> Love, Bee
> 
> Edited 1/9/17


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